


A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

by ultrahotpink



Category: Mercy Street (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-31
Updated: 2017-01-31
Packaged: 2018-09-21 03:18:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9529439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ultrahotpink/pseuds/ultrahotpink
Summary: Lisette shows Mary some of her drawings.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [middlemarch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/middlemarch/gifts).



> The majority of this was written back in November, and as the new season is now airing, I fear that any outstanding fics will only continue to become more and more AU. This fic is dedicated to middlemarch, who contributes so much to our little Mercy Street fandom, and who has been such a supportive friend. Enjoy!

"Nurse Mary," Lisette said from behind her.

Mary froze hoping that she might only have a question and be on her way. Mary had noticed the closeness between her and Jed. The familiarity between them. Of course they were free to do as they both wished. She had no formal hold over him, even if the closeness of the other night made it seem so.

Mary turned. "Mademoiselle Beaufort, was there something you needed?"

Lisette bowed her head. "You will think me stupid, but I can't quite remember which room was mine. Will you direct me?" 

Mary pursed her lips. She could hardly ignore such a reasonable request. "Of course."

They moved up the stairs together, each on the other side of the staircase. 

Lisette glanced at her several times before speaking. Almost as if she was studying Mary as one of her subjects. "Such a lively place. I'm excited to begin my work."

"What is the focus of your work Miss Beaufort?" Mary asked.

"I'm an artist. Human anatomy. The army has commissioned me to draw what I see during surgeries and around the hospital."

"How exciting to have an artist amount us."

"Do you draw Nurse Mary?"

Mary had drawn little sketches in her journal and attempted the occasional landscape. But capturing the human form had always eluded her. "I dabble." Mary said as they stopped in front of Lisette’s door. "Here we are Miss-"

"Oh please, you must call me Lisette. Everyone does." Lisette smiled.

Mary smiled back reluctantly. "Very well, Lisette. Now if you’ll-"

"Would you like to see some of my drawings?" Lisette asked, opening her door, and gesturing to the room inside.

"I-" In truth Mary was busy, although with what she wasn’t able to reasonably discern at the moment. And she was curious as to Lisette’s skill style and ability. "Alright."

"Wonderful.” Lisette stepped into the room which was only a little larger than Mary’s own. "You must forgive the mess."

Mary glanced about the room noticing the various pencils, pieces of charcoal and even some water color paints. There were various orange, pink, purple and red garments strewn over a chair. Colors that Mary would never have worn in her wildest imagination. Mary saw a notebook laying open on the bed. She glanced at Lisette who was observing her.

Lisette gave a curious half smile before moving to the bed to hand the notebook to Mary. "You can look at it if you'd like."

Mary caught eyes with Lisette and she saw a flash of something. Amusement? Perhaps, mischief? Mary had hardly led a sheltered life. She was quite cultured enough to handle whatever may lay inside the brown leather book.

Mary sat down on the bed and opened the book. Immediately she saw the nude form of a woman posing with her arm above her head. She flipped the pages further to see other people in various stages of undress. She was in awe of the way Lisette had so elegantly captured their forms. Clearly Mademoiselle Beaufort had a gift. Perhaps medical science could certainly benefit from her skills. "These are quite good," Mary said finally, looking up to acknowledge her.

Lisette sat next to Mary on the bed. "That's the beautiful thing about Paris. Lots of people willing to take their clothes off. None of this puritanical morality."

Mary couldn’t disagree with the sentiment, however she did disagree with the intonation that somehow they were bereft as a society because of it. She continued flipping the pages and stopped suddenly on a portrait that was unmistakably Jed.

"He was a terrible model. He can't stay still for more than a few seconds at a time. Have you noticed?" Lisette asked.

Mary ran her fingers over the lines of the page. She’d captured him so well, although he was younger. He was dressed as he was often was, an elegant cravat and elaborately patterned vest, although his beard in the picture was more neatly trimmed. 

"I have noticed that he fidgets when he is forced to sit behind a desk." Mary conceded.

Indeed Lisette must have known Jed quite well if he had let her draw him. How well had they known each other? Was their relationship more than purely platonic? If she continued to flip the pages here would she regret what she had seen? 

She felt the pit of her stomach drop and still, her fingers continued to flip the pages forward. There were more portraits of him intertwined between other anonymous faces. There was one of him in just a shirt, which reminded Mary of his state of dress during his illness, although here he had a happier expression in Lisette’s drawing.

She should stop a voice shouted. Perhaps he didn’t want to know more about Jed and Lisette’s exact relationship. It was certainly none of her business to know although Lisette seemed to be open to her continuing to turn the pages, but to what purpose?

Mary’s question was immediately answered as she turned the page to find irrefutable, unmistakable proof of their association in the form of Jed lying bare, with only a sheet to cover his unmentionables. It was clear now that Lisette had encouraged Mary to look because she’d wanted Mary to know of her past connection. Her eyes widened before shutting the book and getting up suddenly. 

She looked up to see Lisette lounging back on her hands and smiling. "He's an excellent lover, in case you were wondering." Lisette spoke.

So, they had been together. Mary felt an ache in her chest that she knew she had no right to. This woman had experienced what only in the darkness of night when Mary was alone in her slight bed, had she ever allowed her mind to wander to Jed in that way. She had thought perhaps that what they shared together, that that kiss had been something special. That when he spoke to her of lawyers and divorce that perhaps he was hinting of something of a future with him. Perhaps she was merely his next conquest as Mademoiselle Lisette had been. 

Mary stared at the door. She ought to turn and run from the room. She should leave and avoid all interaction with Jed and Lisette where she could. But a question lingered in her mind and she knew she could not leave until she uttered it. "Did you come here to renew your acquaintance with him?” No, she must be straight forward. “Did he ask you to come here?"

"No. He did not ask me, but I would be lying to you if I said that I wouldn’t welcome him back. We did not part well, but even so. I thought he might be happy to see me.” There was a sad look that flashed across Lisette’s face. Had she fallen in love with him? Had he beguiled Lisette as he had with her? Lisette’s eyes met Mary’s. “He seems to have other interests here. But I would caution that person to protect their heart.” 

Mary moved abruptly to the door. Her hand resting on the handle. "I must return to the wards. I'm sure that Matron Brannan will be happy to assist you with any further needs."

Mary opened the door but didn’t move forward. She turned to look at Lisette. “And you needn’t worry about his other interests.”

Mary rushed from the room before getting the key from her pocket and unlocking the door of her own room and firmly shutting it behind her. She sank down to the bed.

She had thought his interest in her was something more than lust, but it wasn't so. But she hadn’t come here for that purpose. She would throw herself into her work. Perhaps it wouldn’t erase what had already happened between them but it would perhaps divert any further inklings of this foolishness in her.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please feel free to let me know what you think or leave a quick kudos!


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